The Beginning of an Alliance
by writer writing
Summary: Merlin becomes stuck in his disguise as Morgana and Mordred plot his downfall. Merlin as Dragoon the Great becomes court sorcerer and teacher to Arthur.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin wasn't often afforded the day off but Arthur had been in such a good mood lately thanks to Gwen that they were becoming more frequent. He was almost another person entirely. He smiled to himself as he thought, "Heaven help us all if he ever loses Gwen."

He sighed and became more sober as he stared out into the woods thinking of Morgana. She had left the castle injured and powerless, death a certainty. So why had he done it? Why had he sent Aithusa to save her? He had been told time and time again by Kilgharrah that it would be better if she died. He had no doubt that as Kilgharrah said his compassion would prove to be his undoing, but it was the only way he could live with himself. At the end of the day, she had been a good friend once.

"So this is what the great Merlin does on his days off," said a voice, interrupting his thoughts. "Sits like a bump on a log."

"Well, not everyone likes to spend their days off getting into trouble down at the tavern," he said, turning around to greet Gwaine with a smile.

"You know I've been led to believe that you're rather fond of the tavern."

His humor disappeared as he thought about all the times he'd had to muck the stalls because of a tavern cover-up story, "Well, don't believe everything you hear. So what are you doing out here? I don't imagine you came out here to sit and enjoy nature."

"I am on a quest. You haven't seen a wizened, old man roaming the woods, have you?"

"No, why?" Merlin asked, hoping he didn't seem too eager to know the answer.

"Arthur wants the sorcerer that killed Uther."

"Why? He hasn't been spotted recently, has he?"

"No, but I think Guinevere has him in such high spirits lately that he wants to pardon him."

"Really?"

"I don't understand it either, but he is the king. I volunteered to find him as I have a bone to pick with the old man myself."

Merlin stood up. "Now that I've had a little peace and quiet, I believe I'll go see if Gaius wants any help."

Merlin could hardly hide his excitement. Was today the day that magic was finally accepted in the land again?

ssss

Morgana kept flashing back to seeing Emrys in the castle. He struck cold terror into her heart just at the thought of him.

"Until Emrys is out of my way permanently," she muttered to herself, "Camelot will never be mine. I know that now. I need to focus all my energy on Emrys."

She heard a sound just outside her hut. For a moment she feared it was her nemesis as if mere thought could conjure him to her. Her hand was ready and an incantation was on the tip of her tongue as she pulled the door open.

She was greatly relieved to see it was a mere boy and a familiar one at that. She hugged him, "Mordred, how happy I am to see you."

"And I you. I want to help you destroy Emrys," he said with a dark smile.


	2. Chapter 2

"You know Emrys, the old wizard?" Morgana asked.

"Emrys is his Druid name. You know him by the name Merlin," he told her in his usual form of communication.

Morgana was shocked speechless. It all suddenly started to make sense. Merlin wasn't just lucky. He had magic. She couldn't believe she had never realized it before. She should have put 2 and 2 together a long time ago. "Merlin?" she repeated. Then she laughed. "All this time I've been afraid of Merlin? Getting him out of the way won't be half the problem I thought it would be."

"Don't be fooled by his friendly demeanor. He is a powerful sorcerer. His powers outweigh our own. We must strike now because he has not yet reached the full extent of his powers and with our powers combined we'll prove more than a formidable match."

He was right. The whirlwind, the aging spell, blocking her powers, none of it was child's play. Merlin was no mere novice. "What do you suggest?"

"I suggest that we start by weakening him a little at a time. You say he's going around as an old man?"

"Yes, you wouldn't recognize him. It's not a simple disguise. He went the whole way. It was clearly an aging spell."

"Perfect. The next time he uses it, he won't be able to undo it. We'll cast a spell to make sure of that. It would be to our advantage if he had an old body to slow him down a bit."

Morgana smiled, "Brilliant. I can already tell that this will be the beginning of a beautiful alliance. There's no end to what we could accomplish together."

They began the spell to trap Merlin in an old body.

sssss

Merlin stretched, listening to his old bones creak. "This gets easier every time I do it."

He made the semblance of picking herbs, knowing Gwaine was less than a mile away.

Gwaine almost seemed shocked upon seeing Merlin. He had clearly expected it to be a much harder task to find him. He quick regained his senses and drew his sword. "You are coming with me, old man."

"Is that any way to treat a sorcerer?" Merlin asked. "My memory may be failing me in my old age but I seem to remember you suggesting something similar before and you had more comrades then."

Knowing when he was beaten, he put his sword back. "Look, would you please just come with me?"

"Now that's what I like to see in you young people, good manners."

"Are you coming or not?"

"Are you going to lock me up?"

"The king commands your presence. He wants to make amends."

"In that case, Sir Gwaine, lead the way."

An hour later found them in the throne room standing before Arthur and the court.

"Sir Gwaine here has told me you want to pardon me," Merlin began.

"I not only want to pardon you, I want you to be my court sorcerer," gasps were heard throughout the throne room.

Merlin was no less surprised, "Sire?"

"I know it sounds strange given my past stance on the issue, but Morgana is a serious threat to this kingdom. It would be reassuring if we had someone who could use magic fighting on our side. It was brought to my attention recently that my father was already dying and that perhaps I had misjudged you. There would have been no reason for you to risk your life just to hurry the process along. From now on, I will agree to judge people based on what they have done and not what they can do."

Merlin smiled wide. He had been waiting a long time to hear those words, "You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that. Now I have a surprise for you. My name is not Dragoon. It's me, Merlin, your servant."

There were more gasps. Merlin spoke the words that would remove the aging spell but nothing happened.

"I have to admit for a minute there you had me," Arthur said with a chuckle. It eased the tension in the room and the others followed the king's lead and also chuckled.

Merlin was about to protest, but he saw Gaius shaking his head, indicating for him not to pursue the matter any further. "Even we, sorcerers, have a sense of humor," Merlin replied. He wasn't smiling though.


	3. Chapter 3

Gaius had whipped up the potion that was supposed to remove the aging spell. Merlin quickly drank it. "Gauis, what is wrong?" Merlin asked as he felt his face. "Nothing is happening. Please, don't tell me I'm stuck like this."

"Merlin, this is serious. I have never heard of such a thing happening before, but it's not many sorcerers who use an aging spell. It's very advanced magic and there's a certain unpredictability to it."

"You don't think that after repeated use, you becoming stuck in the aging spell?"

"I wouldn't think so, no. We're going to have to do some research on it. In the meantime, you shouldn't try to convince anyone else of your real identity. Everyone's naturally going to be a little suspicious of people who practice magic until it becomes commonplace again. If you insist you're Merlin, they're going to think you're up to something."

"Great, magic is allowed and I still have to pretend to be somebody I'm not."

A knock interrupted their conversation. One of the king's guards was at the door. "You have your first duty as court sorcerer," he told Merlin. "You should come along too, Gaius. Arthur wants you to be an advisor to him."

ssss

"Leohtbora," Merlin said with absolutely no enthusiasm. He was going down the hallways of the castle, lighting the necessary torches. The impressed guards were watching in fascination. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when Arthur said court sorcerer, but considering it is Arthur we're talking about, I should have suspected it. Leohtbora."

Gaius watched as well as if he was carefully supervising his work. "Everyone has to start somewhere."

"I suppose I should be grateful that it's you Arthur wants to supervise me and that I will be residing in your quarters. Although I imagine that has more to with the fact that he still doesn't trust me completely more than anything else."

"That and it's not uncommon for a court sorcerer and court physician to work together. After all, there are some things only magic will heal. Arthur also knows I'm no stranger to magic. It's really not an unreasonable pairing."

"Leothbora, that's the last torch. I suppose that mean my duties are done for the night."

They made their way back to their rooms.

"I'll sleep well tonight. Just a simple walk through the castle has about done me in," Merlin grumbled.

Gauis laughed, "It will be nice to have another person to share the aches and pains of being old with."

"That's fine for you but what about me?"

"Think of this as a learning experience, a preview into the future."

"I guess it will be that. Goodnight, Gaius."

"Goodnight, Merlin. And try not to worry. Who knows? Maybe you just need to sleep it off."

Merlin tried the spell one more time before he got into bed. Nothing happened. He slipped his robe off, although there was no slipping to it. Everything was a chore when you were 80 years old.

He climbed into bed and swatted at his beard. It kept getting in the way at the most inconvenient moments. This guise was definitely going to take some getting used to. He let out a heavy sigh when he realized the blanket was at the foot of the bed and he would have to sit up to get it. Then he smiled. The ban on magic had been lifted. He was a court sorcerer for goodness sake. He used his magic to cover himself up. "This is one thing I could get used to," he said happily to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

He grimaced when he saw himself in the mirror partly because he had almost forgotten that an elderly man was going to be staring back at him and partly because his beard and hair was very knotted. "I'm just going to cut it all off and be done with it," he told his reflection.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you, Merlin," Gaius told him. "Since it's part of the spell, it's likely to grow back at a rapid rate."

"Great." Merlin straightened the hair out with magic instead.

"Besides that, I think the beard gives you a very distinguished look. It makes you look wise beyond your years."

"I'm an 80 year old man. How much more beyond my years can I look? I should probably go to Arthur and Gwen. He won't be in a good mood when he wakes up and I'm not there, young me, that is."

"Good luck with that. Meanwhile, I'll see what we can do about your current state."

Getting into the bedroom proved to be easier than Merlin expected. The guards seemed afraid of him and willing to grant his every request.

He pulled the curtains open with a wave of his hands. Smiling not only because it was a glorious day but because he was able to use his powers in full view. "Time to rise and shine, my favorite royal couple, and greet the day."

Arthur, as usual, wasn't so cheerful this early in the morning. He squinted toward the light trying to distinguish the figure in his room. It sounded so much like Merlin and yet, it didn't. "Merlin, is that you?"

"No, it is I the Great Dragoon!" he replied. It sounded a little overdramatic even to himself but it's what people nowadays expected of a sorcerer.

That made Arthur alert. He set up straight as an arrow with wide eyes. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Since Merlin couldn't be here to help you, I thought it only right as your court sorcerer to fulfill his duties for him."

Arthur turned to Gwen, who was also sitting up wide-eyed in bed. "You see, Gwen, you show someone a little appreciation by giving him a day off and he takes full advantage of it. Many a season's going to go by before Merlin sees another one."

"No!" Merlin yelled. "I mean no. He isn't goofing off."

Arthur raised his eyebrows, "Then he's in trouble?"

"Not exactly."

"Then he's at the tavern trust me. It's his favorite place to hide and get out of work."

"Don't be too hard on the boy. Possibly it's sorcery that keeps drawing him to the tavern," Merlin said, "I promise that when he comes back, I'll look into it."

Arthur looked like he wasn't quite buying that it was sorcery, but he didn't say anything more about it. "Well, there goes our breakfast, Gwen. I'll go see to it."

"I can take care of that too," Merlin told them. "Fleoge."

Both Arthur and Gwen were startled as two plates of food and a pitcher flew into their room until it settled on the bed in front of them.

"Don't look so worried. I didn't conjure it from magic," Merlin assured them. "It's food from the kitchen. I just brought it in here for you."

Gwen murmured her thanks and took a bite.

Arthur took a bite too. "It tastes like food from the kitchen anyway. You're dismissed, Dragoon. I believe Queen Guinevere and I can take things from here."

Merlin set out their clothes for them with his magic. He turned to go but was stopped dead in his tracks. He'd thought for a moment he'd seen Mordred outside the castle but his eyes weren't the sharpest in this guise.

"Can I help you, Dragoon?" Arthur asked impatiently.

"No, I just thought I saw something for a moment but be prepared for anything, sire. I have a feeling something isn't quite right."


	5. Chapter 5

"Has Merlin become old again yet?" Morgana asked eagerly when Mordred entered the hut.

"He has."

"Then everything is going according to plan. That's wonderful news. Merlin deserves everything that will come to him." Her lips curved upward in a smirk, "Has Arthur seen him yet?"

"He's seen him and he's made him court sorcerer."

"What?" she cried. "I'm the one that's supposed to bring magic back to the land, not Arthur. Well, no matter. I guarantee you it won't be long before he backtracks on that decree. He is already proving he is a wishy-washy leader. The people will be begging me to take over. We just need to get Merlin out of the way and the sooner that happens the better. I hate Merlin a little more every day. He will pay for all the lies and betrayals."

"Patience, Morgana, the Roman Empire wasn't conquered in a day. You are too impatient to have your revenge. The best revenge is served cold. You must detach yourself from your emotions. Hatred, anger, bitterness, they all have their place, but they will keep you from thinking rationally."

Morgana didn't like the way he spoke. He didn't sound remotely like the way a boy his age was supposed to sound, but then he was a boy who had seen and experienced too much. It was to be expected that it would age him. She was filled with sympathy for him. "You're right. I don't want to fail this time. We must be slow and careful." She sighed. "This court sorcerer nonsense will be a hindrance. Merlin won't have to run and hide from Arthur and the knights like we thought he would."

"This may be to our advantage yet," Mordred said. Morgana could already tell the wheels in his head were turning.

ssss

"Have you found anything out?" Merlin asked Gaius.

Gaius nodded. "From what I can tell there are two possibilities. One is that your magic and my potion are being impaired by a poppet or charm."

Merlin shook his head. "I checked my room thoroughly this morning. There is nothing out of the ordinary. What's the second possibility?"

"The second is that another witch or wizard added their magic to the spell making it even stronger so that it is impossible to undo the spell without them adding their magic to it again."

"Wonderful. I bet I can guess who that might be," Merlin said.

"Morgana is certainly your most likely suspect," Gaius agreed. "I can guarantee you that whoever did it, did not do it just for kicks. You need to be more on your guard than ever."

"She must have found out my true identity. I bet she was hoping to leave Camelot defenseless since under this guise I was a wanted man. She'll be in for a surprise."

"Whatever the reason, you need to be careful."

One of the guards came to the door. "King Arthur requests your presence."

"And here I thought I wouldn't be as busy," Merlin mumbled under his breath as he followed the guard.

He was led outside where Arthur was waiting for him. No one else was around, even the guard left. Merlin wasn't quite sure what to expect. "Your highness?"

"I want you to teach me," Arthur said with no fanfare.

It took all of Merlin's effort not to burst into laughter. "You want me to what?"

"You seem to think there could be a threat. I assume you meant of a magical nature. Isn't it reasonable to educate me about magic?"

"You never cease to surprise me, King Arthur. I had my doubts about you being king at one time, I admit, but you've proven me wrong many times over."

"Is that a yes you'll teach me?"

"You are a wise king to ask for my tutelage. It would by my pleasure." A devilish gleam entered Merlin's eyes. He was going to have fun as Arthur's teacher. It was going to be payback time. "Lesson One, The Origin of Magic," Merlin began.


	6. Chapter 6

"Magic is said to have began in a place called the Crystal Cave. That however is not important. What is important is that magic is a natural force. You wouldn't burn someone at the stake because they had an aptitude for music, would you?"

"No, of course not."

"What if a person was particularly strong and skilled in weaponry?"

"No."

"They could use it for evil," Merlin pointed out.

"That doesn't mean they will," Arthur insisted.

Merlin smiled. "You are proving an apt pupil."

Arthur smiled back. "And you an apt tutor, Dragoon. You're quite right to drive that point home given the past, but I promise that as long as I'm alive there will never again be persecution simply because a person practices magic."

"I'm glad to hear it because magic is neither good nor evil. Like anything else in this world, it is a tool or a gift that can be wielded in either direction based on the morals or lack thereof of the wielder. Allow me to demonstrate. Let's say you're having a particularly clumsy day."

Arthur gave him a funny look. "Are you calling me clumsy?"

"Not at all but let's say you've bumped into the queen's favorite vase."

Arthur's eyes got as big as saucers when Gwen's favorite vase materialized in Merlin's hand. "You're not going to break that, are you? That was a wedding present. She would kill me if anything happened to it."

"Let's say it does for argument's sake," Merlin threw it against the tree.

Arthur ran to the shattered pieces. "Are you insane?"

"Not to worry, your majesty," he restored the vase. "There you have it as good as new."

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. "It is good for your sake that you have the magic to fix it."

"That was only a small example. Magic can be used for greater purposes and has been used over the centuries for healing or turning a battle around. Or it can be used for dark purposes as you well know." Merlin raised his hand toward Arthur.

Arthur sailed through the air and landed with a thud some feet away. "Was that really necessary?" he asked, standing up and brushing himself off. "I am already aware of your ability to knock your opponents out with magic if you'll remember."

"Had I wanted to, I could have delivered a stronger blast that would have taken your life."

"Could you have killed when you were captured in Camelot and going to be burned?"

"Theoretically speaking, yes. It's never really a sure thing though. I am mortal after all and mortals sometimes fail."

"So why didn't you?" Arthur asked.

"Taking a life should always be a last resort. A life cannot be truly restored even with the greatest magic."

"Except the Christ," Arthur said. "He called Lazarus from the dead and Himself."

"And there you have part of the reason why the new religion has swept the land. His magic is greater. However, you will find that the old religion is more about the earth than worship and as magic comes from the earth; to be tied with magic is to be tied in part with the old religion, which brings us back to the origin of magic. I believe the old and new are more harmonious than we've been led to believe. I think they can easily coexist and blend in your kingdom."

Arthur thought hard about it. "Perhaps you're right. In any case as I said before, persecution will be a thing of the past. I intend to let the druids and those of the old religion live in peace. Tolerance will prevail in my kingdom."

"I believe that's enough for one day," Merlin said. Arthur looked more than a little relieved and started to walk off. "But I do have something for you to work on before our next lesson."

Arthur didn't look excited, "Do I want to know?"

"In your free time, I want you to practice levitation."

"You want me to do magic?"

"I could levitate items before I could walk. It's the easiest magic to perform."

"You're my tutor," he said with a resigned shrug and turning back toward the castle.

Merlin almost felt sorry for Arthur but when he remembered all the times he had been target practice and all the unnecessary chores, he felt justified. Merlin had enjoyed the lesson not only for the opportunity to poke some fun Arthur's way but Arthur was turning out to be a more willing student than Merlin would have expected. Was this the way Merlin was meant to help Arthur unite the land by tutoring him? Kilgharrah had said part of his destiny was to bring the old and new religion together. It appeared the time was upon them. Arthur was ready to listen.


	7. Chapter 7

"You wouldn't happen to know why Arthur keeps staring at his cup, as if he's trying to will it to his mouth?" Gaius asked Merlin as they watched the king at a celebratory feast.

"I wouldn't have any idea," Merlin said, trying to pretend innocence but failing miserably when he burst into laughter.

"Merlin," Gaius said in his fatherly tone.

"You have to admit. It's pretty funny."

"I don't believe Arthur's going to find it funny at all."

"Arthur has a better sense of humor then you think," Merlin told him.

"Hmm, we'll see," Gaius said. He shook his head as he watched Arthur move to a lighter piece of tableware.

ssss

"I have tried to levitate everything I can think of. I've even tried a feather. It's not working," Arthur complained to Merlin at their next lesson.

"No, and it won't. You could try until you're blue in the face and nothing is going to happen."

"Do you mean to tell me I was trying to lift things with my mind during all my spare moments like an idiot and it was never within the realm of possibility?" Arthur asked with narrowed eyes.

"My point was that magic is something you have to be born with. It's true that some people study it for years and develop some ability, but it will never be powerful magic and they had to have had a slight aptitude for it or they couldn't have done that much. Skill levels vary like anything else."

"I'm beginning to tire of your points and illustrations. I would almost think you're doing this on purpose."

"It's the best way to learn but if you're ready for a lecture, I'm ready to oblige. Sidhe, pixies, trolls, goblins, and some humans have magic. The magic differs from species to species. There are a wide range of magical creatures, too numerous to cover in one lesson and some of which you already know of anyway. Magic can be used to control the elements air, water, earth, and fire. Magic can be used for mind control, changing the shape of a person or object, it can be used to see visions of the future, create, destroy, move objects, slow down time, communicate with other sorcerers without speaking, call forth magical creatures. Sometimes an incantation is necessary when using magic and sometimes it is not. Sometimes objects need to be used as part of the spell and sometimes a potion. Magic has limitations and rules. It is not absolute."

"Slow down. This is a lot to take in," Arthur said.

"You're right. Magic is very complex and I have only touched the surface. I haven't even learned all there is to learn about magic yet. We can have as many lessons as you deem necessary."

Arthur nodded, "We'll see. We'll take one day at a time." Sir Leon motioned for Arthur from a distance.

"We will continue this later. One of my men is calling me." He turned to go and tripped.

Merlin laughed.

"You did this," Arthur accused.

"It wasn't me," Merlin laughed harder. "Really it wasn't. It was the tree root, I swear."

Arthur stood up. "You may be a sorcerer, but I'm still your king."

Merlin gave a slight bow. "You don't know how painfully aware I am of that fact."

Arthur nodded but said nothing else because he was confused. Dragoon had acquiesced but somehow it still felt like there was a playful jab behind those words, not unlike someone else he knew.

ssss

Morgana was brooding and dreaming of a Camelot that she was queen over when Mordred came in through the door.

"You'll be interested to know that Emrys is tutoring Arthur," said Mordred.

"In what?" Morgana asked with a puzzled expression.

"In magic, what else? It seems Arthur is coming to trust old Emrys sooner than I would have thought, but that makes our pathway clear. There's going to be trouble of a magical nature in one of the villages in the outlying regions of the kingdom," Mordred said.

Morgana smiled as she saw where he was going with this plan, "I love the way your mind works. If I'd had you by my side a couple of months ago, Camelot would still be mine."

"Emrys won't be a problem much longer of that you can be certain. Then we will focus on getting Arthur out of the way."


	8. Chapter 8

By the time, Merlin had hobbled his way back to the castle, Arthur, Leon, Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan were there fully armored and waiting on him it appeared.

"We've had a report from a village in the northwestern most part of the kingdom. A young woman said that there's a magical beast attacking their village. She doesn't want to go back. She's afraid it has already been destroyed."

"And you want me to go with you?" Merlin asked.

"Magic is your specialty, isn't it?

"Well, yes but—"

"Then you're going," Arthur commanded.

"Did she say what kind of beast it was?"

"She said a dragon, a white one. I know it has to be something else, but that's what she said."

Merlin hoped there wasn't any guilt showing on his face. "I must definitely go then. I will be able to help without any bloodshed."

"So four knights should be enough?"

"More than enough. Let me go get my things."

Merlin ran as fast as he could go in his old body.

"I'm going on a trip," Merlin explained breathily to Gaius as he packed a bag.

"Where to?"

"I think Aithusa is attacking one of the villages."

"Aithusa? I don't know. Something isn't right about this."

"I know. Aithusa shouldn't be so angry or capable of destruction at his age."

"It might be a trap laid by Morgana."

"I know, but it's a chance I'll have to take. If Aithusa is causing destruction, I'm the only one who can peaceably stop him," Merlin sighed. "This is going to be a long trip. I don't know if I'm going to make it. I have trouble getting on and off a horse, I move at the speed of a snail, and at the end of the day there isn't a muscle or bone I don't feel. How am I going to gallivant across the kingdom on a horse?"

"Why don't you take this staff with you?" Gaius suggested. "I use it sometimes when I make a trek into the woods. It will at least help you with the walking part of it."

Merlin took the staff gratefully. "I hope it is Morgana. Maybe I can force her into undoing this."

"I hope so, for your sake."

Merlin did find he could walk a little faster with the staff. Gaius walked out with him. Arthur and the knights were already seated on their horses. None of the knights looked happy that Dragoon the Great was going along.

"Do you do magic with that staff?" Arthur asked, staring at Merlin's new accessory.

"I do have a staff that I sometimes use for magical purposes, but this is just a third leg for an old man. Speaking of old men," he said as he spied the riderless horse, "how do you expect me to mount that creature?"

"What's the matter? The great wizard can't get up on his own horse?" taunted Gwaine.

"You know I could improvise like I did last time and make some stairs," Merlin shot back. He was in no mood to put up with their taunts and jokes the whole ride there.

"That won't be necessary," Arthur said. He nodded toward one of the guards on the ground. The guard gave Merlin a leg up, so he could mount the horse.

"I'm starting to worry about, Merlin," Arthur told Gaius. "Even if he is a tavern rat, it's not like him to be gone this long. Do you think something has happened to him?"

"Oh no," Gaius assured him. "I've seen him. I saw him this morning, in fact, before he set off for the tavern again."

"That figures," Arthur shook the reins. "When I get my hands on that servant of mine..." Arthur trailed off leaving the rest to imagination. Whatever he was going to do, it wouldn't be pleasant.

Merlin shot a very unhappy look at Gaius. Gaius just shrugged helplessly. One day Merlin was going to have to sit down with him and give him a list of excuses that didn't include the tavern.


	9. Chapter 9

Merlin sat down against a tree, which was a miracle at all considering he had been sitting on a horse for 12 hours. "Forbearnan," he muttered. A small fire appeared and he stretched his aged hands over it to warm them.

"We know you have magic," Gwaine snorted. "You don't have to keep showing off."

"Who's showing off? I'm cold and tired, therefore I made a fire. Unless you want me to put it out, so you can make one yourself."

"No, I'm good, thanks," Gwaine said.

"That's enough," Arthur said. "It has been a long day. We don't have to snap at each other like angry dogs. There'll be plenty of snapping when we meet up with that beast."

Gwaine dropped it out of respect for Arthur, but it didn't keep him from glaring at Merlin. Merlin figured that Gwaine hated Dragoon for the same reason he hated most nobles. He thought because he was a sorcerer he was power-hungry and self-centered. Merlin had to admit that it was as easy as it was for nobles to fall into that trap. Having the world at your fingertips could lead to self-entitlement if you weren't careful. Fortunately for him, he had a great mother and more recently, he had Gaius to help him.

Oddly enough the duty of cooking their supper had fallen upon Leon, and no one dared to hide his food from him this time. Maybe there were advantages to not being known as Merlin, the simple servant. Taking a bite of the soup, Merlin changed his mind. He was no great cook himself, but it was apparent that knights were not known for their skill in cookery. Merlin said some of the ancient words over the stew and then took a bite, happy to discover that it had improved the flavor.

"What did you do to that stew?" Elyan asked, pointing.

"I just used a spell to make it more palatable. It makes the ingredients fresher."

"Could you do it to my bowl too?" Elyan asked.

"Of course," Merlin told him.

"Please, I beg of you, do it." Merlin repeated the words over his bowl. Elyan took a bite and smiled. "Dragoon, you are okay." Then he quickly devoured the improved stew.

When Arthur, Percival, and Leon saw that Elyan didn't keel over, they quickly hurried over to Merlin to get him to do the same to their stew. Gwaine was too proud and too suspicious of him. He continued to choke down his portion of unaltered stew.

Merlin was too weary to go back for his blanket and pillow, so he brought it out of the saddlebag with his magic. He was sure that display wasn't doing any favors where Gwaine was concerned, but at the moment, he didn't care.

Tomorrow they would reach the girl's village. Arthur had to be right. There was some other explanation. It couldn't be Aithusa. What motive would the young dragon have?

Merlin fell asleep with more questions on his mind than answers.

ssss

They reached the village midafternoon. There had been no been no exaggeration on the young woman's part. The village had been burnt to the ground. The silence was deafening, but Merlin could feel deep down that there was still danger lurking about.

"Dragon!" shouted Leon. They all ducked under a shield as a stream of flames came toward them produced by a white dragon.


	10. Chapter 10

They would have all been burn burnt to a crisp, shields and all, if not for the invisible shield Merlin had created to cover them all. The reprieve gave Merlin time to command Aithusa to stop the destruction and return to Kilgharrah in the dragon language. The dragon obeyed and flew away.

Merlin thought for a moment that it would be that simple, but a host of armed men descended and began attacking, keeping Arthur and the knights well occupied.

Morgana and Mordred had watched the exchange with the dragon from the cover of the woods. Morgana was momentarily stunned as evidenced by her open mouth, but she recovered and decided to confront Merlin herself. "Did you like my welcome, Merlin?" Morgana asked, walking down the sooty village path with outstretched hands. "I must say that was quite impressive. It's not just anybody who can command a dragon, especially when the dragon is being controlled with a spell."

"I should have known you were behind it. You are awfully fond of mind control. Why did you do it?" Merlin demanded.

"I wanted your attention. I needed to see you and I didn't think you'd respond to a kind invitation. I love your beard by the way."

"You destroyed this village to get my attention? You let innocent people die just to bring me here?"

She gave her trademark smirk in response, "It worked, didn't it? And what's one village when thousands of druids have perished?"

The sky blackened and multiple white bolts of lightening crashed down. The air tingled with electricity. A great wind gust knocked Morgana to the ground.

Absolute terror filled Morgana. She had expected to never again feel such fear at the sight of old Emrys, but even though Mordred had warned her, she wasn't prepared for this level of power from Merlin. He wasn't even trying. It's not just that he was using magic; it was like he was magic incarnate. He hadn't even uttered a single incantation yet. "How can you be so powerful?" she cried. "It's not fair!"

"You think you deserve more magic? You are a bitter woman with a hate-filled heart. If I've been blessed with more magic, perhaps there was a good reason for it."

"Uther made me into the way I am."

"You made yourself this way. Look around, Morgana, Uther's gone. Arthur has always been like a brother to you even when he thought you were just a ward. He's even stopped the persecution against magic. I thought that's all you wanted."

"He doesn't mean any of it. He is just like his father. Can't you see that it won't last?"

"No, you are like your father. Your hatred is simply in reverse. You despise those who don't practice magic."

"That's not true," she said with utter contempt on her face. "I just hate those who stand in my way, including you."

Merlin spotted Mordred out of the corner of his eye about to attack him with his magic. Rain started falling down in a downpour so heavy, visibility was almost completely gone. Three bolts of lightening twisted together into one gigantic bolt and hit Mordred before he could finish his spell, causing him fall to the ground and lose consciousness.

Morgana screamed causing a rumbling of the earth and ran to Mordred's side. "You have to do something!" Morgana shouted above the storm. She had Mordred's head cradled in her lap.

Merlin was faced with a big decision. Mordred couldn't be Arthur's doom if he let him die. He was tempted to walk away.

"Prove you're different from me," she jeered. "Prove you and the knights of Camelot are so noble that you're willing to spare your enemies." She laughed derisively when he didn't respond. "That's what I thought. You're the same as everybody else. That's all this is world is about. Kill your enemies before they kill you."

"You're wrong. We live in a fallen world, and we will make bad choices, but we don't have to be an instrument of evil. Arthur and I will create a kingdom to be proud of; I just wish you and Mordred could be a part of it."

Mordred regained some consciousness.

"Are you going to help him or not?"

"Yes, on the condition that you restore me to my rightful self."

Morgana didn't look like she wanted to accept. Mordred's telepathic speech was fuzzy but audible as he told her, "Do as he says. Today is not the day. We must live to see another one."

"Fine," she snarled at Merlin. She took Mordred's hand and together the three chanted the words that would undo the aging spell.

Merlin, back in his young body, used the same healing spell that he had used on Uther. "There. He will recover just not immediately."

"This is far from over, Merlin," Morgana said, standing up with Mordred leaning against her for support. "You are weak, not in magic, but in other ways and you will pay for all that you've done to me. You and Arthur both."

"I have no doubt you will continue to conspire against us, but I know I have done the right thing today. Can you say the same?"

She cast a long, dark look at him, implying that she was aware she could not. Then she and Mordred disappeared into the darkness.

Arthur made his way over to Merlin as the rain slowed into a sprinkle. "Merlin, what in the five kingdoms are you doing here?"


	11. Chapter 11

"They ran out of ale at the tavern?" he said with a shrug, not quite sure how to explain himself.

Arthur's eyes fell on the staff in Merlin's hand. "What are you doing with Dragoon's staff?" His eyes widened. "It was you. It's been you all the time. I have been such an idiot."

"I wouldn't say an idiot exactly. Are you angry?" Merlin asked.

"Angry? Am I angry? Why would I be angry?"

"Judging by your tone, I'll take that as a yes."

"You have lied to me for years. I thought you were a fool when all the time it was really me. I bet you got a ton of laughs playing your little tricks behind my back."

"If I had told you the truth about my magic from the very beginning, what would you have done?" Merlin queried.

There was a slight reprieve from his anger as Arthur thought about it. He sighed. "I ought to leave you here. Let's go." He turned around and started walking.

"Where are we going?" Merlin asked, swallowing hard. A thousand possibilities raced through his mind and none of them were good.

"Back to Camelot, you nitwit, or have you forgotten you're my court sorcerer."

Merlin smiled. It might take a little while before Arthur completely forgave him, Arthur didn't like being lied to, but he would forgive him.

ssss

"I just don't understand it," said Morgana with half wild eyes back at the hut. "He should hate Uther and Arthur as much as I do. If he had revealed to either one of them his true identity at any point before now, they would have had him executed and did almost have him executed as Dragoon."

"He never liked Uther, but Uther was the king and Arthur's father. Arthur is the one that Emrys believes will be a good king. Emrys' problem though has always been he doesn't know how to show loyalty to his own kind."

"But out of all the cursed luck," Morgana grumbled. "How could we have known that he was a dragonlord? Our plan would have succeeded otherwise. It looks like Arthur and his irritating knights killed our band of men. Oh well, finding lackeys is always easy. Are you already forming another plan?"

"Not in the immediate future. It's Emrys' time. We are too late to stop his great destiny altogether, but it won't always be that way and we have discovered Emrys' true weakness. It's not a frail body and it's not two great sorcerers combining their powers."

"It's not? Then what is it?"

"It's people. You saw the way he reacted when people he didn't even know died. His family, his friends, they mean more to Emrys than anything, and Emrys pins the hopes of the future on Arthur and Camelot. If we can kill Arthur, we destroy Emrys."

"Or strengthen him if his anger adds to his magic. There's not a sorcerer I know of past or present who could ever wield the elements like he did today."

"No, I think the anger would be short-lived. We would simply stay away from him until the anger passed and depression set in."

"So you want to kill Arthur now? He is the easier target. I am not opposed."

"No, not now. Arthur must have his time too. I want to wait until the glory of the new Camelot begins to fade. The prophecies will have already reached their fulfillment and the time will be ripe for revenge."

"It could be years before you get your revenge, decades even."

"I am very patient. I don't care as much when I get my revenge as long as I get it."

"Then I'm back to bringing them down on my own?"

"If you want it to be in the immediate future, yes, but you labor in a vain task. I won't waste my time. I will plan and prepare for the day when I will succeed. Our alliance failed this time, but only because the time for it was not yet upon us. We will see each other again I believe."


	12. Chapter 12

The knights were ready and waiting by the horses and just as surprised to see Merlin as Arthur had been.

"Merlin?" Percival queried, not sure if his eyes were deceiving him.

The knights were all looking at him for an explanation. He decided to just be straightforward about it this time, no beating about the bush. "Yes, you see I'm really a sorcerer. I have been masquerading as Dragoon when I needed to visible, so I wouldn't be caught. I got stuck in my old man form for awhile, but as you can see I've undid it. I hope you can forgive me for not telling you sooner, but the ban on magic made me nervous for my life even with those who've proven themselves friends."

"You have magic?" Elyan said, summing up his speech in a nutshell.

Merlin nodded.

Elyan, Percival, and Leon gathered around him and slapped him on the back in a sign that they weren't holding it against him. Merlin was most worried about Gwaine's reaction. He looked in his direction and saw that Gwaine was still standing in the same place as before but looking very thoughtful.

"So you can do a lot with that magic of yours then?" Gwaine said at last. "Could you say conjure some ale at a moment's notice?"

"Yes, I could theoretically."

"That settles it," Gwaine said. "We can never go anywhere without this man."

Merlin smiled in relief as Gwaine came over also with a welcoming grin on his face.

"So you could conjure our meals at a moment's notice too?" Arthur asked.

"Yes," Merlin said slowly, not liking where this was going.

"I reinstate Merlin as our camp cook. Leon you're fired."

Leon didn't look too brokenhearted at the loss of his position and there were cheers from the others at Arthur's decision with cries of long live the king. They all got up on their horses.

Merlin shook his head. If he had expected to be raised up to a level of awe then he was mistaken, but he was glad of it that meant they were not afraid of him and were still his friends. He also knew that he and his opinions would be more valued when there was a serious situation to deal with.

"Should we track down the dragon and finish it off before it takes out another village?" Leon asked before they rode off.

"No," Merlin said. "It was being controlled by Morgana. Dragons are not horrible creatures on their own. If left in peace, there won't be any more damage."

Arthur nodded, proving he trusted Merlin in his new role. "That settles it then."

A day and a half later, they rode into Camelot where the queen and most of the court stood on the stairs to welcome them back.

"We have a surprise for you," Arthur said as he dismounted. He gestured toward Merlin, "Merlin has magic."

"I think I knew it," Gwen said. "Yes, I definitely knew it."

"Oh, come on," Arthur said. "You did not."

She laughed, "I did. I never could put my finger on it exactly, but I knew there was something special about Merlin. Was that really you then as Dragoon?"

"It was," Merlin agreed.

"You took the fall for that love potion that was planted," Gwen said as she began connecting all the pieces. "You wanted to be caught."

"I wanted to escape. I got stuck in my disguise then too until Gaius helped me out just in the nick of time."

She kissed his cheek. "You are as much a hero as any knight in Camelot."

"Is that the first or the only time you've saved one of our lives like that?" Arthur asked.

"Well…" Merlin began, starting to feel a little embarrassed at all the attention.

"I didn't think so," Arthur said. "I suppose we've had a court sorcerer all along."

Merlin had passed many an hour imagining what his friends would say if they knew about his magic. He'd never imagined it going this well.

Gaius smiled the smile of a proud father as he announced, "You could have no better sorcerer or advisor in matters of magic. Merlin is the most powerful sorcerer there's ever been."

Arthur looked momentarily stunned and impressed at this information, but then a self-satisfied look developed on his face. "Of course he is, he is my court sorcerer after all. I don't believe we've ever had a feast honoring our new court sorcerer. I declare that we have one tonight."

That night after the feast, Merlin walked just outside of Camelot and called for Kilgharrah.

"How's Aithusa?" Merlin asked.

"He is no longer under the witch's control."

"I could have let Mordred die, but he and Morgan were defeated at least. Does that mean the danger has passed and Mordred is no longer a threat?"

"No," Kilgharrah answered simply.

"So then Mordred will be Arthur's end?"

"Eventually yes, but enjoy the time you have, young warlock. For yours is a story that poets and bards will tell of for a long time to come, a story of nobility, justice, magic, and loyalty. It will inspire countless generations. All things in this world must come to an end, yes, as the age of dragons has about reached its end, but what is important is that you live in the now for a glorious new age has dawned."

Merlin looked back at the outline of Camelot. He could almost feel all the great stories of Camelot that had yet to be born. Kilgharrah was right. It was time to enjoy the present.

The End


End file.
